Catalytic igniting apparatus.



G. SALOMONSOHN.

GATALYTIG IGNITING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 24, 190'?.

Patented June 15, 1909.

nHlIllllllllA WITNESSE X NEA/TOR `f GEORG ALor/(ONSOH UNITED sTATEsPATENT* oEEIoE.

GEORG SALOMONSOHN, OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

CATALYTIC IGNITIN G APPARATUS.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented' June i5, i909.

Application led September y24,; 1907. Serial No. 394,408.

.10 lytic ignitinga paratus ofthe kind, in which a small piece o ethiopsor black of platinum, of n'idlum or a similar metal, preferably combinedwith thin wires. of latinum, is

Y moved from its sheltered posit1on withinV a` ]5- box or casing on tothe top of another chamber of the saidbox or casing containing a wick orsome other fibrous or porous material impregnated with a volatileinflammable fluid, such as methylic alcohol, the

vaporsof which, owing to the catalytic action lof the black of latinum,cause the same to be heated to reaeheat in the well-known manner.

Igniting apparatus of the kind referred to,

in general, are known. The catalytic igniter proper, viz. the piece ofblack of platinum, n'idium or other suitable metal, heretofore, has beencombined. either with a sliding lid or with a spring-lid of the box orcasing, and

with the apparatus of the latter kind, the

piece of black of'platinum moved linto contact'withthe vapors ofalcohol, was' retained in position and 1n contact with such vaporsduring the whole time of use of the apparatus,

4 35 the red-heat of the black of platinum being employed to -igniteacigar or other inflamma le matter by direct contact of the glowing piecewith the material to be ignited.

According to my invention, the piece of 40 black of platinum, on beingheated by the catalytic action, does not serve to .lgnite other objectsbrought into direct Contact withisuch glowing piece, but it ignites thevapors ofthe wick, or fibrous or porousmatter containing methylicalcohol or the like, and the said vapors continue to burn when theigniting piece of platinum has been withdrawn, thereb allowing theburningvapors to be'utilized or igniting other objects, -such '50"ascigars,gasllames, and any other inflammable'rnatter.V A considerableadvantage of the'kind of igniting a paratus last described consists inthat the b ack of platinum, being greatlyvliable-to wear and tear, ma bewithdrawn romthe lighted lameof a cbhol immediately' after lightingsaidv flame, and by this means, the igniting device'proper, say theethiops or black of platinum, or iridium or the like, and the thin wiresof platinum attached thereto, are preserved in a good working state fora considerable extent of ,i

time.

According to my invention, the box or casing of the improved ignitinapparatus, containing wad or any other brous or porous material to beimpregnated with a suitable, inflammable fluid, such as methylicalcohol, has a spring-lid tightly closin said box, and at one of thesides of said ox, separated from the chamber formed by saidbox, a frameor channel is arranged to receive a slide connected to the ignitingdevice proper,

consisting of an open frame carrying the piece of black of platinum andthe thin wires of latinum'connected therewith, the said elli e beinghinged to said igniting frame.

he spring-lid of thebox or casing 1s re# tained in its closed positionby a suitable catch,which will be released by the' slide on moving thesame into the operative osition,

and thus, on actuating the said s ide, the spring-lid of the box will bethrown open and the igniting frame simultaneously be thrown over theopen end of the box, from which theV inilammable vapors are r1sin to beignited by the black of pllatinum an thin Wires of platinum, whic havebeen heated by the said vapors. As soon as the said vapors have beenignited, the ignitln'g frame connected to the slide may at once beWithdrawn and returned into its sheltered position Within; theside-frame or channel of the box, there to remain up to the nextigniting o eration-l To ma re my invention properly understood, I haveillustrated the same 1n the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section'of the apparatus, with its lid orcover closed and all arts in the state of inaction. kFig; 2 is aongitudinal section of the apparatus, show ingthe lid or cover open andthe parts 1n position to light the flame. F1g. 3 1s a sideview of theapparatusagainst the channel or guide-frame o the slide. Fig. 4 -is alon tudinal sectionvof the apparatus showing t ke slide'in course of itsupward movement and ready to throw the p'ring-lid ofthe box into itslopen position. 1g.l 5 is a topv1ew of the ap aratus, the lid ofthe boxbeing removed ang the slide being shownin' horizontal section. Figs; 6,and 7. serve toillustrate the combination ofthe catalytic igniter with apocket lamp formed or secured to the box of the igniter.

v"Referring to Figs. 1., to 5, b, is a box, pref- 'I the vapors of whichwill rise from the box as soon as the lid d, has been thrown, open andthe atmosphere enters into contact with the wad and hquid .thereincontained. Formed or secured lto the side of box b, is a frame orchamber 1", separate from the chamber inclosed by the box b, and thesaidchamber 1,

serves as a guide for a' slide s, and Vfor a frame z, carrying the blackof platinum and thin wires vof platinum which .constitute the igniter,the said frame z, being hinged to the slide s, as at c, with a springvo, to act upon said frame z, whichspring o, however, may be omitted. l

The frame or chamber 1, has a slot y', through which a pin or knob c,projects to the outside, said pin or knob being secured to the slide s,for shiftin the same up and down within the frame or c annel 1'.

A springf, is arranged inside the box b, to engage with a'proper catchv, carried by the cover or lid d, and a pin a, is so located within thepartition between the box b, and ch amber 1', as to be operated upon bya lug or shoulder t, of the slide s, in its way up the said chamber orchannel 1'. When the said slide s, is pushed u the channel 1, the saidpin a, will e pushe against the springf, and the said spring, on beingbent back, will come out of engagement with'the catch o, thus allowingthe spring g, to at once throw the lid d, into its open position. Itwill be seen, that, although the slide s, acts'to throw oplen the lid d,the said lid has no connection w atever with the igniting frame z, thelatter being exclusively under control of the slide s.

On pushing the knob c, u within the slot y', the slide s, as has beenereinbefore described, open the spring-lid d, of box b, and on furtherbeing raised within the chamber or channel 1', the said slide s, will,immediately after opening the lid, push the frame z out of the chamber1', thus making the same fall down u on the open box b, by its properweight, or e thrown down by the aid of spring o, wound about thehinge-pin c. The frame z, being brought u on the open box b, as shown inFig. 2, will) readily' ignite the vapors developed from the impregnatedporous matter in the box b, and as soon as the piece of black ofplatinum carried by the frame z, and the thin wires of platinum attachedthereto, have performed the ignition of the vapors, the slide s, withframe z, connected to it, may at once be withdrawn and returned into thechamber 1, by simply pulling the knob or pin lc, down within the sloty'. To push the knob 7c up and to pull it down within the slot j, thethumb of the hand which holds the apparatus needs only to act upon Saidknob c, in one or the other direction of the slot, and thus, for usingtlie appa-I ratus, a single hand may readily perform the wholeoperation. The vapors at the open end of the box b, will continue toburn, after the black of platinum has been removedinto its shelteredposition, and if the flame is no more used, it may be blown out and thelid be closed, or by simply closing the lid d, of box b, the iiame willbe extinguished at once.

As will be seen in Figs. 2 and 4, the upper end of slide s, is bent tothe inside, toward the box b, to form a cover for the chamber 1, whenthe said slide s, has been pulled down and the frame z, connected to it,has been lodged Within said chamber 1. Atmos heric air having readyaccess to said cham er 1', through the slot j, the black of platinumwill readily cool down, as soon as the frame z, has been returned intosaid chamber 1", after use.

The little pocket-lamp l, Figs. 6, and 7, placed at the side of box b,and consisting of a tube or casing containing a wick or other fibrousmatter to be impregnated with petroleum, benzin, ligroin or some similarfluid which readily will catch the liame from the burning alcohol on boxb, is, by itself, of

a known kind. The iame h, of said lamp l,

will burn with a white flame. 'A cap w, serves to extinguish theilame h,after use. I claim as my invention:

l'. A lighting device of the class described comprising a casing adaptedto contain an inflammable liquid, a separate chamber connected to saidcasing, a slide in said chamber having vertical movement therein, a

frame having one end hinged to said slide, a spring for forcing the freeend of said frame toward the casing when the slide is raised, and anigniting substance carried by said frame. u g

2. In a catalytic igniting apparatus, the combination, with a casingadapted to receive an inflammable liquid, of a spring-lid adapted toclose said casing, a slide adapted to be moved toward and from the openend of tlie casing and guided within a chamber outside of the saidcasing, a frame hinged to said slide and carrying the ignitingsubstance, and means actuated by the said slide for throwing open thespring-lid of the casing, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

3. In a catalytic igniting apparatus, the combination, with a casingadapted to re. ceiver an inflammable liquid, of a spring-lid adapted toclose said casing, a slide adapted to be moved Within a separate chamberoutside of the casing, a frame hinged to said slide and carrying anigniting substance,

means for retaining the spring-lid of the ceive an inflammable liquidand having a spring lid, of a separate chamber outside vof said'casing,a slide adapted to be moved within said outside chamber, a pin projectl5ing from a slit in said outside chamber andv secured to the slideWithin, a spring-actuated catch Within the casing to retain thespringlid in its closed position, means controlled by the slide forreleasing said catch, and a frame carrying an igniting substance andhinged to the slide, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication in thepresence of tWof subscribing Witnesses.

A GEORG SALOMONSOHN.

Witnesses:

HENRY HASPER, WOLDEMAR HAUPT.

